Baptism of fire: my first criminal trial

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Victor DawesFebruary 5, 2026 at 02:32 AM

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A barrister recounts their first criminal trial, which occurred at Sha Tin Magistrates' Court in 2000. The barrister, still in pupillage, was unexpectedly asked to defend a robbery case. Initially imagining a complex, high-stakes scenario, the barrister soon discovered the reality was quite different. The defendant was a teenage girl accused of being involved in a minor incident at a video arcade. She and her friends pressured a younger boy into giving up his lunch money to continue playing Street Fighter. The barrister's first trial turned out to be less dramatic than anticipated.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Jesse James 50% Robert De Niro 60% Val Kilmer 60% Sha Tin Magistrates’ Court 70%

Keywords

criminal trial 100% robbery 90% first trial 80% magistrates' court 70% legal debut 60% juvenile crime 50% teenage girl 50% pupillage 40%

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Positive

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South China Morning Post

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90%

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criminal trial robbery first trial magistrates' court legal debut juvenile crime teenage girl pupillage

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